Master Musicians Of Jajouka& Bachir AttaarMaster Musicians of Jajouka is a group led by Bachir Attar, from the village of Jajouka near Ksar-el-Kebir in the Ahl Srif mountains in the southern Rif Mountains of northern Morocco.

Jajouka is an ancient village perched above a long valley in the blue Djebala foothills of the Rif Mountains in Northern Morocco, home to the Master Musicians of Jajouka as well as the Sanctuary of Saint Sidi Ahmed Sheikh, who was a Muslim missionary, teacher of Moulay Abdesalem "The Patron Saint of Morocco", and whose spiritual energy is closely tied with the village and its music. Most people who live in Jajouka are members of the Ahl Sherif tribe, which means "the Saintly." The Attar clan of Jajouka is the founding family of the village and keepers of one of the oldest surviving musical traditions. The music and secrets of Jajouka have been passed down through generations from father to son, by some accounts for as long as 4000 years. The musicians of Jajouka are taught from early childhood a complex music which is unique to Jajouka. After many years of dedicated training, the musicians finally become Malims or Masters. They possess baraka, the blessing of Allah, which gives them the power to heal, and the endurance required to play some of the most intense and complex music around.

For centuries, the Master Musicians of Jajouka were employed by the Kingdom of Morocco as the royal musicians of the sultans. They had special papers detailing their rights as privileged citizens which allowed them to remain the royal musicians for many rulers - even through French, English and up to Spanish colonization. Throughout that time, the Master Musicians would still continue to play in and around Jajouka at weddings, Moussems (local music festivals centered around a saint), and for holidays such as the Aid El Kebir. Supported locally by farmers throughout the Djebala, the musicians were allowed to take an annual tithe from their crops, a privilege they held until the early twentieth century.

The first recordings by the Master Musicians of Jajouka who were led by Bachir Attar’s father, Hadj Abdessalem Attar, included recordings with Brian Jones (Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka, 1971 AFM/1995 Point Music), Joel Rubiner (The Master Musicians of Jajouka, Adelphi), and Ornette Coleman (Dancing in Your Head).

Led today by Bachir Attar, these are the Master Musicians of Jajouka recognized by the Kingdom of Morocco. The younger generation of our legendary group recorded under the names "Master Musicians of Jajouka" and "Master Musicians of Jajouka Featuring Bachir Attar" with The Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels, 1989), Bill Laswell (Apocalypse Across the Sky, Axiom Records, 1992), Tchad Blake (Jajouka Between the Mountains, WOMAD/Real World Records, 1996), Talvin Singh (The Master Musicians of Jajouka Featuring Bachir Attar, Point Music, 2000), Lee Ranaldo (Crossing Border Fest, The Hague, 2003), Bernardo Bertolucci (The Sheltering Sky film soundtrack), Nicholas Roeg (Bad Timing film soundtrack), and others.

Bachir Attar has recorded with artists such as Elliott Sharp, Maceo Parker, Ginger Baker and Deborah Harry. The Master Musicians of Jajouka and Bachir have also toured with the artists Ornette Coleman, Steve Lacy and Critters Buggin.

1. Up To The Sky Down To Earth 2. The Truth Forever 3. Searching For Passion 4. Taksim 5. You Can Find The Feeling 6. The Blessing For The World Fro 7. Jamming In Loindon 8. The House Of Baraka 9. Above The Moon 10. The Magic Of Peace11. The Magic Of Peace (Remix by D.B.A)

Cheng Yu (pipa - lute), Sun Zhuo (guzheng - zither), Hu Bin (erhu - fiddle) and Zhou Jinyan (yangqin - dulcimer), established virtuosi with international reputations, present traditional as well as modern pieces. Hauntingly beautiful and tranquil, but also exuberant and boisterous, the music portrays moonlight scenes, river landscapes, court dances and more.The UK based, award-winning, highly innovative, all female Silk String Quartet plays a mixture of traditional and new works on this recording. All are wonderful pieces of music. “Waterscape Silhouette”, beautifully depicts a rural scene in China. The combination of four stringed instruments – pipa (4-stringed pear-shaped lute), guzheng (5 foot 21 stringed zither), erhu (2-stringed fiddle) and yangqin (hammered dulcimer) – is beautiful to listen to and unique to the Quartet. The sleeve notes are clearly written and very informative. For anyone who is new to Chinese music, this CD is the perfect introduction. For those already familiar with it, this superb recording provides much that is refreshingly new as well as imaginative arrangements of traditional pieces.

Joubran are establishing themselves at the forefront of Arabic music. The new album AsFâr is their fi nest and most complete to date, with Dhafer Youssef contributing guest vocals to the brothers intricate and dazzling interplay. Le Trio Joubran are the sons of a Palestinian master luthier, who is the son of a master luthier... a family steeped in the 4,000-year history of the oud, ancestor of the guitar, and it this instrument that is their passion, their skill and their life. They take inspiration from maverick fi gures in jazz and fl amenco, traditions that also highly value virtuosity and improvisation. Sometimes, the three brothers play together in precise unison, or merge their sounds to spin out rich, textured drones and ostinatos. At other times, they stand apart as distinct voices locked in passionate dialogue. The title of their recent album Majaz, translates as metaphor ; a suggestion that, although they rarely resort to words, these brothers do have things to say. With mysterious, seductive eloquence, they communicate profound ideas about history, musical evolution, and the beautiful aesthetics of Arabic music, still far too little-known in the West.

Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Satyajit Ray & VA The Masterworks of Satyajit Ray"One of the great pleasures Satyajit Ray's films gives audiences is the beautiful music they contain. This has been true from the very beginning of his career, when he asked classical music Pandit Ravi Shankar (the 'Apu' trilogy, 'Devi') and Ustad Vilayat Khan ('The Music Room') to compose and perform the music for his soundtracks. These great maestros always worked within the framework of Indian classical music; that is, music based upon ragas. However, light classical and folk songs, as well as folk tunes, were also drawn upon and provide much intoxicating rhythm and lively orchestration for Ray's scores. ...

His conversation was full of allusions to Western classical music; he once called Konarak, the great 10th-century Hindu temple in South India, the B-minor Mass of Indian sculpture. Sometimes he used Western classical music for his soundtracks, with his own idiosyncratic adaptation. When the tormented wife in 'Devi' is being led to safety by her husband to the banks of the Ganges, the ominous 'music' we hear is a slow movement played backwards of a Haydn symphony. Ray felt that to use Western classical music in the normal way, except as 'source music,' i.e. music actually being performed as part of a scene, was cheating.

For the orchestration he himself wrote ('Charulata,' 'The Big City,' and 'The Middleman'), he relied on the rich sonorities available in Western instruments played in combination with Indian ones -- for instance, violins and cello, trumpet and harmonium, played with Indian wooden flutes, sarangi, santoor, sarod, sitar and tabla. His melodies were always based on ragas, however, no matter what the combination of instruments might be, and the ravishing sound he wrought from this is what people think of his peculiarly individual, 'Ray-like,' music. No other film composer in India ever quite attained his effects, or gave us film music so satisfying to the Western ear."

Tony Hanna & the Yugoslavian Gypsy Brass BandMy village is lost somewhere between Belgrade and Baghdad.

Tony Hanna & the Yugoslavian Brass Band: A powerful Lebanese voice meets delirious Balkan gipsy musicians on the common ground of Ottoman heritage for a surrealistic journey...At times, it stays still for a few hours (or a few centuries), but then always ends up moving elsewhere. Our mayor is a tuba bass player and our priest a chicken thief imam. In our village lives a crazy singer. His name is Tony Hanna. Tony was born and raised in a small village in the Lebanese mountains where people still ride donkeys and horses, raise goats and chicken. Then, after spending five years in London, he went to live in Detroit where he stayed for 20 years. But when he heard about the joyful fanfare of our beautiful village, he came back and settled here, leaving his family behind in the sadness of civilization. His voice is powerful like the mountain springs that carry rocks into the Lebanese jord (Lebanese mountains' rocky deserts) and his muscles are shaped like the roots of a cedar tree. Tony was the biggest Arabic youth star back in the early '70s. He sold thousands, earned millions and spent even more, distributing tips of hundreds of dollars to waiters and parking valets. Beggars took holidays after his passage. Elvis Presley's tailor fashioned his suits. Palaces were his houses, and the latest sports cars were pushed to their limit by his crazy driving. He changed cars as often as one changes socks. He was — and still is — very handsome. His moustache was a trademark insured for an incredible amount. The professional dabke dancers in his band (dabke is traditional Middle Eastern dance) looked amateurish when he was dancing. Girls screamed like crazy at his appearances in world tours that took him to all the capitals of the Arab world, U.S. cities, as well as to Paris, London, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina. But overnight, at the height of his career, Tony Hanna stopped. It was one of the biggest mysteries of showbiz. When asked about the reasons behind this professional suicide, Tony never answered. When I offered for him to play with the Yugoslavian Gypsy Brass Band, he said, after watching one of their filmed performances: "I agree," and added, "They sound so much fun, so unpretentious, so… so true?" The lack of truth had made him leave this business. When I got to know him, I discovered that his life was guided by truth and trust: he wants to be trusted just like he trusts. He is the only established artist who signed a management and production contract without reading it. The other party begged him to read the fine print but he refused. I know this story is true: The second party is me! —Courtesy Calabash Music

Released in 2007, The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe is a 30-track compilation of soothing, chilled-out orchestral pieces from some of the most famous composers in the genre's history. Its 30 tracks include works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Debussy, performed by the likes of Sinfonia Varsovia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and La Stravaganza Köln.

The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World Ever comes close to living up to its name, collecting two discs' worth of serene classical favorites like Grieg's "Morning" from Peer Gynt, Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1," Debussy's "Clair De Lune," Pachelbel's "Canon in D" and "Winter" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons are some of the other highlights of this worthwhile collection of soothing, time-tested melodies.

Hommage a Cheikh Raymond - Algeria, France
Enrico Macias
Accompagne par Taoufik Bestandji et par l'ensemble Foundok
This hommage to Enrico Macias' father in law has been my musical discovery of the year. Not only is it a very touching, enlightning, delicate and marvelous journey into andaluso-arabic music, but its beauty also makes you dream of a time when both sides of the mediterrenean sea used to share their treasures instead of fighting, a time of tolerance, as it was also expressed in the beautiful Youssef Chahine's movie "Le Destin"... I can only hope such a magnificiency will contribute to a better understanding and opening to the arabic culture and people.

Jazz all the way. Smooth, relaxing, and different from your average Jass album. If you're an Al Di Meola fan and enjoyed the "Guitar Trio" CD in which Paco De Lucia and John Maclaughlin were featured then this is something you wouldn't want to miss out on. Aziza is a great talent. I'm surprised her name isn't out there among the big names of Jazz, but there you go.Great Vagif Mustafazadeh's daughter's Aziza...without any hesitation I would say that "Dance of Fire" is the best album released by Aziza. The songs are based on traditional Azerbaijani Mugham and other folk songs. If you are the fan of Al Di Meola, Stanley Clark,and Omar Hakim - Drums! Yes, Omar Hakim who once joined Madonna during her Girlie Show back in 1993!!! So, here is your chance to get amazing Azerbaijani jazz in collaboration with the worlds best musicians. Thank you Aziza for all the music you have made for us. Your father Vagif Mustafazadeh's soul would be very pleased by every success you make, especially if you travel more to your motherland Azerbaijan:-)

The Azerbaijan pianist Aziza's Dance of Fire -- her second American record -- combines be-bop-derived jazz with elements Russian folk music. Supported by Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola, and Bill Evans, Aziza's playing is graceful and fluid, eclipsing her super-star backup musicians.

Masters Of Zen Shakuhachi and Organ Yamamoto & Mitterer This Japanese language playing guide is written primarily in the five-line form, making the music of the shakuhachi accessible to anyone who is able to read western staff notation. The text is written in Japanese while the music is in western form.

Hozan Yamamoto covers all aspects of shakuhachi: its history, mechanics, tuning and repair. He explains in detail how to hold and blow this instrument and provides the beginner with information on how to choose a quality shakuhachi.

Chapters on playing explains how to read western staff and Japanese cursive notation with detailed information on rhythm, syncopation, tempo, staccato as well as techniques particular to shakuhachi playing. All aspects of honkyoku and sankyoku music are explored in this encyclopedic work.

"Pa saber de flamenco" is one of the best flamenco compilations, which is both accessible and of high quality; it is suitable to become initiated in flamenco as well as to savour without any further scope, and it is balanced, as it includes the best current performers without forgetting about the great classics from the past.

The "Pa saber de flamenco" collection is a great way to get started in flamenco or to simply have in one anthology four great records to enjoy. It is a wide ranging anthology that features more than 50 historic flamenco tracks.

"Pa saber de flamenco" doesn’t just include bulerيas, tangos and the festive styles, which are the easiest to listen to, but it offers the beginner a good selection of the most important flamenco styles: seguiriyas, fandangos, soleلs, malagueلs, verdiales, alegrيas and tarantas, as well as rumbas, bulerيas, jaleos and tangos.

In 2003 , Universal searched the depths of its archives for an anthology that would bring together the most essential flamenco. The result was are record that features artists of the likes of Antonio Mairena –venerable figure of pure and traditional flamenco- Pericَn de Cلdiz –star of the Cadiz school of singing- and Marina Heredia –from a new generation of singers.

Between them (Antonio Mairena and Marina Heredia) there are intermediate generations that have made flamenco history and have contributed to new trends: Paco Toronjo and el Indio Gitano, El Lebrijano or Terremoto de Jerez, Bambino, Carmen Linares, Camarَn de la Isla and Tomatito, Paco de Lucيa and Duquende.

The success of the first volume among critics and the general public encouraged the label to release a second part which included some of the artists of the first volume and others such as Manolo Sanlْcar, Luis de Cَrdoba, Fosforito and Manolo Caracol.

The third part truly captures the best flamenco of all time, be it classic or modern, a great selection, the fragrance of Andalusia in a bottle. And not only because it features work by Terremoto de Jerez, Nino de Barbate, La Paquera de Jerez, Mairena, Carmen Linares, Manolo Caracol, Paco de Lucيa and Camarَn, but because it is a example of a people’s expression, singing their joys and sorrows, their cries of lament and delight.

The fourth, and latest volume is the series features a sample of flamenco’s ability to become more sophisticated and flirt with other music styles. It takes you on a journey back to the roots, to the source.

All the best vocals and guitar players of our times, from Camarَn to Paco de Lucيa, Manolo Sanlْcar and Carmen Linares. also including classic flamenco such as Antonio Mairena, Porrina de Badajoz, Manolo Caracol and El Chato de la Isla, among others.

"Pa saber de flamenco" is one of the best flamenco compilations, which is both accessible and of high quality; it is suitable to become initiated in flamenco as well as to savour without any further scope, and it is balanced, as it includes the best current performers without forgetting about the great classics from the past.

The "Pa saber de flamenco" collection is a great way to get started in flamenco or to simply have in one anthology four great records to enjoy. It is a wide ranging anthology that features more than 50 historic flamenco tracks.

"Pa saber de flamenco" doesn’t just include bulerيas, tangos and the festive styles, which are the easiest to listen to, but it offers the beginner a good selection of the most important flamenco styles: seguiriyas, fandangos, soleلs, malagueلs, verdiales, alegrيas and tarantas, as well as rumbas, bulerيas, jaleos and tangos.

In 2003 , Universal searched the depths of its archives for an anthology that would bring together the most essential flamenco. The result was are record that features artists of the likes of Antonio Mairena –venerable figure of pure and traditional flamenco- Pericَn de Cلdiz –star of the Cadiz school of singing- and Marina Heredia –from a new generation of singers.

Between them (Antonio Mairena and Marina Heredia) there are intermediate generations that have made flamenco history and have contributed to new trends: Paco Toronjo and el Indio Gitano, El Lebrijano or Terremoto de Jerez, Bambino, Carmen Linares, Camarَn de la Isla and Tomatito, Paco de Lucيa and Duquende.

The success of the first volume among critics and the general public encouraged the label to release a second part which included some of the artists of the first volume and others such as Manolo Sanlْcar, Luis de Cَrdoba, Fosforito and Manolo Caracol.

The third part truly captures the best flamenco of all time, be it classic or modern, a great selection, the fragrance of Andalusia in a bottle. And not only because it features work by Terremoto de Jerez, Nino de Barbate, La Paquera de Jerez, Mairena, Carmen Linares, Manolo Caracol, Paco de Lucيa and Camarَn, but because it is a example of a people’s expression, singing their joys and sorrows, their cries of lament and delight.

The fourth, and latest volume is the series features a sample of flamenco’s ability to become more sophisticated and flirt with other music styles. It takes you on a journey back to the roots, to the source.

All the best vocals and guitar players of our times, from Camarَn to Paco de Lucيa, Manolo Sanlْcar and Carmen Linares. also including classic flamenco such as Antonio Mairena, Porrina de Badajoz, Manolo Caracol and El Chato de la Isla, among others.

"Pa saber de flamenco" is one of the best flamenco compilations, which is both accessible and of high quality; it is suitable to become initiated in flamenco as well as to savour without any further scope, and it is balanced, as it includes the best current performers without forgetting about the great classics from the past.

The "Pa saber de flamenco" collection is a great way to get started in flamenco or to simply have in one anthology four great records to enjoy. It is a wide ranging anthology that features more than 50 historic flamenco tracks.

"Pa saber de flamenco" doesn’t just include bulerيas, tangos and the festive styles, which are the easiest to listen to, but it offers the beginner a good selection of the most important flamenco styles: seguiriyas, fandangos, soleلs, malagueلs, verdiales, alegrيas and tarantas, as well as rumbas, bulerيas, jaleos and tangos.

In 2003 , Universal searched the depths of its archives for an anthology that would bring together the most essential flamenco. The result was are record that features artists of the likes of Antonio Mairena –venerable figure of pure and traditional flamenco- Pericَn de Cلdiz –star of the Cadiz school of singing- and Marina Heredia –from a new generation of singers.

Between them (Antonio Mairena and Marina Heredia) there are intermediate generations that have made flamenco history and have contributed to new trends: Paco Toronjo and el Indio Gitano, El Lebrijano or Terremoto de Jerez, Bambino, Carmen Linares, Camarَn de la Isla and Tomatito, Paco de Lucيa and Duquende.

The success of the first volume among critics and the general public encouraged the label to release a second part which included some of the artists of the first volume and others such as Manolo Sanlْcar, Luis de Cَrdoba, Fosforito and Manolo Caracol.

The third part truly captures the best flamenco of all time, be it classic or modern, a great selection, the fragrance of Andalusia in a bottle. And not only because it features work by Terremoto de Jerez, Nino de Barbate, La Paquera de Jerez, Mairena, Carmen Linares, Manolo Caracol, Paco de Lucيa and Camarَn, but because it is a example of a people’s expression, singing their joys and sorrows, their cries of lament and delight.

The fourth, and latest volume is the series features a sample of flamenco’s ability to become more sophisticated and flirt with other music styles. It takes you on a journey back to the roots, to the source.

All the best vocals and guitar players of our times, from Camarَn to Paco de Lucيa, Manolo Sanlْcar and Carmen Linares. also including classic flamenco such as Antonio Mairena, Porrina de Badajoz, Manolo Caracol and El Chato de la Isla, among others.

This Album Is Based On Poems Of The Persian Sufi Mystics Molavi Rumi, Hafiz and Saadi.When people are honest in their feelings, when they are masters in their art, when they meet together, only then comes a heavenly melody like this to life. I was shocked by listening to this CD, by realising that such a masterpiece can exists. Once I played it, I could not stop it any more. Though I can not understand Persian, but Zohreh Jooya with her voice,Madjid Derakhshani with his tar and voice, Marwan Abado with his oud,Amirabbas Zare with his daf,Stefan Hendrix and Reza Safaverdi with their cellos, Maghsoudloo with his ney, Klaus Gesing and Thomas Nawratil with their sax and tabla all this together with the mystical poems of Mowlana Rumi, Hafiz& Saadi This album, composed by Madjid Derakhshani and sung by Zohreh Jooya, is based on poems of the Persian mystics Rumi, Hafiz and Saadi. It is a blend of classical Persian music with the sounds of today; an unconventional combination of Oriental and European instruments.

Pérez Prado's name is inextricably linked to the mambo rhythm, but it was not his creation, it received its final form and all its popularity in his hands. He composed a number of issues, most of mambo, which rarely headlining. He preferred number them to imitate the classical composers with his symphonies and concertos. In this selection of topics could not miss cuts as its mambos n º 5 and 8 or 'Patricia', 'Cherry Pink', 'Tequila', 'The manisero', etc.

Felipe Campuzano y Beni de Cádiz La Nueva Expresión del Flamenco Album created by Felipe Campuzano, a pianist of heart and soul, a music teacher and a dreamer looking for new ways to encourage the musical world of flamenco and the popular culture of his spiritual homeland, Andalusia, with his piano. And the voice of Beni de Cádiz, a legend of the flamenco singing, the archetype of the bohemian unredeemed Andalusian flamenco character, no gipsy, talkative, improviser, bon vivant and undisciplined but simple, one of the last purists who dominated all the flamenco styles. Beni's health was always fragile and just died later the same year of publication of this album, after many years without releasing any issue. In one of his songs, 'Zambra of my truth', Beni sings: "... I want to die singing, singing, always singing." And so, this is the last legacy of Beni de Cádiz. For the memory …

Midday Newspaper, Jan 2001: “The brain child of percussionist Anuradha’s Pal, Stree Shakti is all woman percussion based ensemble that blends traditional Hindustani and Carnatic music to create a unique brand of fusion… Raga Tala Yatra is a truly marvellous composition, in the way that the vocals move from the morning to night ragas along with vibrant changes in the percussion structures, both in Hindustani and Carnatic styles. For those interested in music that blends the traditional and the innovative, this highly recommended. Clearly, Anuradha Pal and her female pals have a winner.”

“Anuradha Pal has taken a bold initiative in garnering the talents of varied musicians creating a project of percussion instruments from women to the fore. Voice and instruments spell out a haunting universe of an all feminine bravado that presents Indian music in appealing and joyous strains.”

Luis Delgado has composed and produced various soundtracks for television programs. Outstanding is the soundtrack of Alquibla, a serial about the Arabian world, written by Juan Goytisolo and directed by Victoria Prego.

Luis Delgado has worked with all kinds of groups, like Iman (Andalusian rock), Atrium Musicae (antique music), Babia (East-West fusion), Finis Africae (ethnic fusion), C?lamus (Spanish medieval music), La Musga?a (traditional music), Spanish-Moroccan group "Ibn Baya" etc. Born July 16, 1956, in the Chamberi quarter of Madrid, Luis Delgado did his first concert at the age of 14 with the orchestra of La?des, Gaspar Sanz, whose director, D. Manuel Grand?o, taught him most of what he knows about music. Luis also took classes in Hindu, Iranian and Andalusian music, as well as in African percussion. The musical spectrum of this Spanish multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer ranges from ambient to different kinds of traditional and ethnic music, and even includes medieval and ancient music.

Luis Delgado has composed and produced various soundtracks for television programs. Outstanding is the soundtrack of Alquibla, a serial about the Arabian world, written by Juan Goytisolo and directed by Victoria Prego.

Sadan Bajramovic is definitely an old-school gypsy singer, with several decades of experience behind him. But don't confuse age with taking it easy. His voice might not have the sharp edge it once did, but the energy is quite apparent, and there's no lack of commitment to the music, especially as he's backed by one of the best gypsy groups around on this set of mostly well-known gypsy songs. His version of "Djelem" is nothing short of stunning, but an emotional spin on an old favorite. But it's just one among many jewels here, with everything electrifying, and the backing, mixing Rom music with some jazz, is every bit as effective as the singing. But it's the final cut, "Pitao Sam Malog Puza," which is the real killer, with Bajramovic letting loose some fearsome howls and singing as if his life depended on it. Female gypsy singers have received a fair amount of notice in the past. If you want to hear one of the male greats, this is the place.

Coming full circle, Angelique Kidjo returns to her Beninese roots for the star-studded Djin Djin album, whose title, which loosely translates as Seize the Day, aptly sums up the set and its themes. Djin Djin kicks off with the bright and breezy "Ae Ae," just the type of irrepressible pop/world-without-borders number that regularly takes all of Europe by storm, booming out of clubs from Iceland to Ibiza. It's so infectious that, even though the lyrics are apparently in Spanish, the entire continent joins in regardless, although few will grasp its serious message of the economic distress driving Africans onto European shores. Slightly more sophisticated but equally irresistible is "Papa," an urban club monster-to-be whose blistering rhythms vie with Kidjo's belted-out vocals, all wrapped in a supple arrangement that beautifully blends funk, soul, Afro-beat, and more. And then there's the funky, carnival-styled cover of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," which almost seems to celebrate rape and murder. Kidjo's anger is more evident on "Senamou," featuring old friends Amadou & Mariam, a song themed around the upper crust's bling-shackled life, and whose universal truths are reflected in an arrangement that combines African, Middle Eastern, funk, and rock elements. Carlos Santana's elegant guitar illuminates "Pearls," while Kidjo and Josh Groban valiantly try to give weight to Sade's bathos-bathed lyrics. Much better are the haunting title track, featuring Alicia Keys and Branford Marsalis; the smoldering "Salala," which twins the singer with Peter Gabriel; and the Afro-reggae "Sedjedo," where she's joined by Ziggy Marley. "Arouna" also has a reggae tinge around its Arab-esque arrangement, and celebrates individuality on a crowded planet. "Emma," in contrast, explores isolation, and does it with a country twang, a styling that also infects the bouncier "Mama Golo Papa." With the final track, "Lonlon," Kidjo completes the journey, across an inspired vocal version of Ravel's Bolero, a piece that itself broadly hinted at the ties between North and South, East and West, connections made even clearer here. With its many moods, fusions of styles, exploration of serious issues, uplifting themes, and alternately haunting or infectious melodies, Djin Djin is a stunning set, enhanced by the efforts of the fabulous musicians within and Tony Visconti's masterful production. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary World Music Album.